Fodder scam: Jharkhand High Court rejects Lalu Prasad' bail plea

Jharkhand High Court on Thursday rejected the bail petition filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad in connection with multi-crore fodder scam cases.

Imprisoned for over a year, Prasad is currently admitted in Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi for medical attention.

Earlier, Prasad had petitioned before the court of Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh for bail on medical ground. The court had reserved the order on January 4, 2019.

Eminent lawyer Kapil Sibal had argued on behalf of Mr. Prasad citing his bad health and also his need for distributing election symbol to candidates in the capacity of being the RJD president while seeking bail.

RJD likely to move Supreme Court

RJD MLA and spokesperson Shakti Yadav said that all partymen and people of Bihar were hurt over the court’s decision. “Now we’ll approach Supreme Court for relief”, he said.

Convicted in Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasury cases of fraudulent withdrawal, Prasad is currently lodged in Birsa Munda Central jail in Ranchi since December 23,



2017.

The ₹900 crore fodder scam cases are related to fraudulent withdrawal of money from treasuries in the Animal Husbandry department in the early 1990s in the then undivided Bihar when Prasad was the chief minister.

On December 11 last year, Prasad had filed petition in the Jharkhand High Court requesting bail in three fodder scam cases in which he has been convicted citing old age and poor health.

In his petition, he had said that he was now 71-years old and was suffering from diabetes, blood pressure and other ailments. He also pointed that he had already obtained bail in one of the fodder scam cases.

Prasad has been awarded 3.5 years of jail on January 6, 2018 in the Deoghar fodder scam case, and five years jail in the Chaibasa treasury-related case. He has been sentenced to 14 years of jail in the Dumka treasury case under two separate sections of the IPC. Prasad has got bail in one of the two Chaibasa treasury-related cases.

Currently admitted in the paying ward of RIMS for over a month, Prasad has often been meeting with leaders of Grand Alliance and his family members, including his two sons.